Warning for New Cruisers: Viking Below Standard!

[jasardeax]

On 6/21/2022 at 5:42 AM, TV Dad said:

I am a newbie on Viking Ocean voyages. However, I have sailed more than a dozen other lines both big and small. So, I feel qualified to warn future Viking cruisers, Viking has a few practices that are not standard in the industry and not good for passengers.

 

Read this quote today, and found is so appropriate for this post……..

 

”Unsolicited advice is

 always self-serving”

     Amy Dickinson 

 

[Poulsbo Cruisers]

We are taking our first Viking Ocean cruise in September. We are looking forward to it. No, I don’t like Viking’s early payment policy, but we were well aware of it when we booked. I wouldn’t rate them of lower quality because of it. This early payment policy may keep us from sailing Viking in the future, only time will tell. We did take advantage of the echeck discount and would hope that other cruise lines begin offering this same perk. Regardless of what sales are occurring with other cruise lines, they have to pay a fee when we use a credit card. I’d love it if they would offer a further discount for cash. 

[lackcreativity]

2 hours ago, Poulsbo Cruisers said:

We are taking our first Viking Ocean cruise in September. We are looking forward to it. No, I don’t like Viking’s early payment policy, but we were well aware of it when we booked. I wouldn’t rate them of lower quality because of it. This early payment policy may keep us from sailing Viking in the future, only time will tell. 

Do keep in mind that for a cruise booked while on the ship, Viking will agree to a six month final payment date. This is also true when you already have one cruise booked, then you can book another and request the six month payment date ( no need to be onboard for this one).

Be sure to ask for the six month option, since they don't always offer it to you. Once you have booked, they generally will not change the final payment date. 

If you like Viking as much as we do, you may wish to book another while on your first cruise!

[Poulsbo Cruisers]

On another site, it was posted that in Australia Viking requires a $500 deposit with balance due 100 days before the cruise while in the UK a 25% deposit is required with balance due 10 weeks prior to the cruise. If this is true I wonder why Americans are treated differently. 

[sugarside]

I think it could be something to do with consumer rights legislation in UK and Australia.

[KBs mum]

US doesn't allow non refundable deposits? Also we don't have cancel for any reason insurance

[Gilly52]

We are Australians. We paid the deposit for a 58 day cruise in March 2021. We made final payment two weeks ago, four months out from sailing on October 13 2022.

 

[Krazy4Kruisin']

We are booked on Viking Ocean for Aug 2023 and we just had to pay in full last week (June 2022). We are repeat Viking cruisers, though not on ocean cruise (only river cruise). We got our repeat cruiser discount, so I know they are aware. We were also perturbed that we had to pay so far in advance. Doing that for 900 people on every cruise and every ship, they are making a FORTUNE off our money. I do feel this is totally unfair, but like the OP said, we still chose to book.

[Poulsbo Cruisers]

1 hour ago, Krazy4Kruisin' said:

We were also perturbed that we had to pay so far in advance. Doing that for 900 people on every cruise and every ship, they are making a FORTUNE off our money. I do feel this is totally unfair, but like the OP said, we still chose to book.

It’s a great way for Viking to help finance all those new ships. They are borrowing from the cruisers interest free. 🤔🤔 Pretty smart since all of us cruising on Viking allow them to do so. 

[FetaCheese]

3 hours ago, Poulsbo Cruisers said:

It’s a great way for Viking to help finance all those new ships. They are borrowing from the cruisers interest free. 🤔🤔 Pretty smart since all of us cruising on Viking allow them to do so. 

Deposits are recorded on general ledger as liabilities.  That said, all cash is cash.  A prudent corporate financial officer should not allow most, if not all, of it to be spent down.  IMO, most newbuilds are financed with long term notes, also liabilities.  Since V is a private corporation we do not know their sources of funds, nor their accounting principles. IMO, I also believe Mr. Hagen knows very well how to properly operate a cruise line.

[Busy Mum]

On 6/25/2022 at 12:13 AM, Poulsbo Cruisers said:

On another site, it was posted that in Australia Viking requires a $500 deposit with balance due 100 days before the cruise while in the UK a 25% deposit is required with balance due 10 weeks prior to the cruise. If this is true I wonder why Americans are treated differently. 

I rang our local Viking office today to ask their booking conditions, we are from Australia.

I was informed we would need to pay $1,000.00 per person (this is more for a longer or a World cruise), our final payment date would be 120 days from the departure date.  This $1,000.00 per person deposit is completely non refundable should we wish to cancel, or are unable to cruise for any reason.  There is no opportunity for a Future Credit of our deposit monies and naturally I was advised to get Travel Insurance as soon as is possible after the deposit is paid.

 

I thought this was all quite reasonable.

 

Stay safe and well.

 

Vicki. 🙂 

[sugarside]

Should say that Viking will not be holding this money for this length of time for all ship’s passengers as UK and Australian passengers have a better payment schedule.Don’t know about Canadians.

 

[Let Me Travel!]

I don’t agree with your title for this board…there is nothing BELOW standard about the payment policies… Viking is a private company and can require any payment policy that they want to….we, as passengers can choose to comply or not…I think Viking CAN require this payment policy because they are an ABOVE standard cruise company and passengers are willing to pay for a spot on the ships. Maybe re-title this board to…”payment policies make me mad”…that would not be misleading.

[angelhelly]

I think the payment structure is a way Viking "rewards" loyalty.

 

If you book on board, you get the 6 months. If you book another cruise while you have one already booked, you get 6 months. It is a way to encourage repeat bookings.

 

 

[Blackduck59]

I should just let this thread fade and die but felt I should chime in.

The title of this thread is COMPLETELY misleading. I thought it was someone (like myself) who felt that Viking had not delivered the cruise experience they had expected for the price paid. When it turned out to be whining about the terms of payment, which are very well known. I just went, huh? 

Like many others who have responded, I think that you buy the product with the terms that apply or don't. There is no "standard" to live up to. If that product does not live up to your expectations then you may comment on that (which I certainly did after my cruise)

Maybe now would be a good time to let this poorly titled thread fade off the board.

Edited July 9, 2022 by Blackduck59

[brwydave]

Renaissance Cruises in 2001 and Crystal Cruises in 2022 went south on us after we had paid them big bucks.  Because we had paid using our VISA credit card, in both cases, we were credited with the full amounts immediately and when requested VISA sent us checks for the full amounts.  I use VISA as an insurance against the cruise line failing.  Some have in the past and some will fail in the future - in the above cases I didn't see it coming.

[brwydave]

Renaissance Cruises in 2001 and Crystal Cruises in 2022 went south on us after we had paid them big bucks.  Because we had paid using our VISA credit card, in both cases, we were credited with the full amounts immediately and when requested VISA sent us checks for the full amounts.  I use VISA as an insurance against the cruise line failing.  Some have in the past and some will fail in the future - in the above cases I didn't see it coming.